title: Iron homeostasis and serum hepcidin-25 levels in obese children and adolescents: relation to body mass index.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The etiology of the hypoferremia of obesity is unclear. Hepcidin is the body's main regulator of systemic iron (Fe) and has been reported to be elevated in obese patients. Thus, we aimed to assess Fe status and serum hepcidin-25 levels and their relationship with body mass index (BMI) in obese Egyptian children and adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty obese children were compared to 50 age-, sex- and pubertal stage- matched controls. All subjects were subjected to history and anthropometric assessment and measurement of serum Fe, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), ferritin, transferrin saturation (TS), soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) and hepcidin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fe, TS and TIBC were lower, while ferritin, sTfR and hepcidin-25 were higher in obese patients than controls. BMI standard deviation score (SDS) correlated negatively with Fe (r = -0.82, p < 0.01), TS (r = -0.79, p = 0.02) and TIBC (r = -0.69, p = 0.02), and positively with ferritin (r = +0.73, p < 0.001), sTfR (r = +0.80, p < 0.01) and hepcidin (r = +0.95, p < 0.001). Higher BMI SDS and hepcidin were risk factors for iron deficiency (ID).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hypoferremia and elevated hepcidin-25 are prevalent in obese children and correlated with BMI SDS. The connection between hepcidin and inflammation could explain the association of ID with obesity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. rashatarif_2000@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Rasha T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Hamza
authors.forename: Amira I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Hamed
authors.forename: Reham R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Kharshoum
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004534:Egypt; D005260:Female; D064451:Hepcidins / Q000097:blood*; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin / Q000097:blood; D014168:Transferrin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D064451:Hepcidins; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; D014168:Transferrin; C545475:hepcidin 25, human; D007501:Iron